Magic Hat brewing company has come up with two beers that symbolize their version of the season.

Roxy Rolles is the first one. It sort of smells like candy, like what an autumn beer should smell like. The smell of passion fruit is quite noticeable. It also has a smell of coffee (that’s probably the caramel I’m smelling), but it’s definitely fragrant.

On first taste, it is bitter but is tempered by the fruit sweetness. It’s not as bitter as I thought it would be. I’m really surprised I like it, as I’m much more partial to witbiers, hefeweizens, and pale ales. It’s a strong enough taste that it would be great with a steak, something heavy that could help balance out the beer.

It has a deep amber color, a very pretty, deep ruby red. The head is substantial, and the body was medium to light, leaning toward medium.

There’s still enough freshness to it and doesn’t get too heavy. The aftertaste isn’t heavy either but it’s noticeable, without lingering too long. It’s crisp as well. Roxy Rolles is a pretty complex beer.

Magic Hat Roxy Rolles

The second fall beer was Odd Notion. The head of this one is a deep brown color, like chocolate, and the beer itself is very dark brown. This one doesn’t smell good to me. First sniff reminds me of chemicals. The PR notes Magic Hat sent with the beer say it’s supposed to smell like spice with strong roasted notes. When it’s first in your mouth the beer tastes like chocolate at first, then finishes with the roasted taste, like a very deep-roasted chocolate stout. It’s heavier than Roxy Rolles. The aftertaste of Odd Notion hangs around much longer, and is much more bitter. Overall though, the beer is not done badly; it’s just not something I would seek out again.

Magic Hat's Odd Notion Fall 2009

For those who like heavy beers that eat like a meal, they will like Odd Notion. For those who prefer beer to go with dinner or appetizers, they’re better off picking Roxy Rolles.

Whichever one you choose, enjoy it while it lasts!

When met with multiple beer choices, I will almost always choose a nice unfiltered, wheat beer over anything else, so I was psyched to try Samuel Adams Dunkelweizen. The Dunkelweizen is part of the Harvest Collection 12-pack that’s in stores right now.

I’ve never had a dunkelweisen-style beer before and wasn’t sure what to expect.

The beer promises a “wide spectrum of flavors and aromas from clove to tropical fruit.”

The nose was right on. It smelled tropical and delicious.

Unfortunately for me, the good part ended there.

As I said, I’ve never had a dunkelweizen beer before so maybe this is how they typically taste but most of the descriptions I found online promised a spicier beer than what I tasted. I was promised complexity, cloves and carmalized malts. What I found was a very smokey flavor with an aftertaste of artificial banana. Not a good combination. I can deal with one or the other but not both.

Would I still buy the Harvest Collection? Yes, but I’ll stick to the Irish Red or OctoberFest next time.

If you’ve read The Telegraph at all this week, you may have noticed several ads boasting the sale of a bottle of wine for $1.40 at the Coliseum Avenue liquore store Monday.

No, it’s not a bottle of junk wine they’re trying to get rid of. It’s a promotion for the Liquor Commission’s 75th anniversary.

The bottle is a 2005 Chateau de Macard Bordeaux.

I’ve written a few posts about the deals the Liquor Commission has been offering over the past couple of months, but this may be the best one yet. Check out the Saturday article in The Telegraph for more information. And make sure to get there early (and bring a few friends, since you can only get 1 bottle each). I don’t think supplies will last long.

The other deal is being offered by the Black Orchid Grille on Temple Street.

The restaurant is holding Wacky Wine Week from Aug. 16-21. Some bottles are being marked down to half-price. It’s a great opportunity to relax at the bar with a bottle or go for lunch or dinner. (Check out Michelle Collins’ post in Live Free or Dine about the food Black Orchid serves.

Case in point: Last month, I went to the New Hampshire Lodging and Restaurant Association’s Summer on Tap tasting event at Fratello’s in Manchester. One of the participating breweries was Peak Organic out of Portland, Maine, and they were sampling their newest summer brew, Organic Pomegranate Wheat Ale with Acai. At first, I was sort of put off, since Michelob Ultra has a pomegranate-flavored, low-calorie beer, and well, frankly, it’s awful. And the addition of acai, which is a popular additive to diet drinks because it’s a berry rich in antioxidants, also kind of bugged me out. But I gave Peak’s pomegranate brew a go. And it’s fantastic.

Think Heifenweizen, plus a splash of Pom juice. It’s light and subtly-flavored, and the pomegranate doesn’t upstage the coriander, which gives the beer just a hint of citrus. Unlike some fruit-infused beers I’ve tried, it doesn’t taste like juice mixed with Bud Light. And since it’s organic (and with locally-grown wheat) and has antioxidant-rich berries in it, it’s almost health food! It is a great, flavorful beer that should definitely be enjoyed at many a summer barbecue.

Also at Summer on Tap was Sam Adams. They were offering samples of their Blackberry Witbier, which is one fruit beer that is way too fruity. The sour blackberries really overwhelm the light white ale. To me, it tasted like blackberry Clearly Canadian. However, I think homebrewer and Boston Beer Co. employee Carissa Sweigart did a hell of a job with her Cranberry Wit beer, which was a winner in last year’s Sam Adams’ Long Shot homebrew competition. Whatever Carissa did to keep such a sour fruit as cranberry from destroying that classic light, crisp wit flavor is exactly what Sam Adams needs to do with Blackberry Witbier.

One brewery that does fruit beers right (and that was also at Summer on Tap) is Sea Dog Brewing Co. out of Maine. Most bars around southern New Hampshire carry Sea Dog Blue Paw Wheat Ale, their blueberry-flavored beer, on tap. The best way to drink blueberry beer (including the amazing Bar Harbor Blueberry Ale) is in a Black and Blue, which is combines the blueberry ale with Guinness. Sea Dog also puts out an amazing Apricot Wheat Beer, which is one of my favorite summertime beers. At the grocery and convenient stores, look for sampler 12-packs that have all of Sea Dog’s fruit brews, including their Raspberry Wheat Ale.

So, don’t be a beer snob. Step out of your stout-swigging shoes and into the lighter, fruitier side of beer.

I’m particularly excited about this festival for two reasons: I don’t have to trek down to Boston, where most beer and wine festivals seem to be held, and it’s the start of fall, which means that hopefully there’ll be some fresh autumn-inspired brews and vintages to sample. I know it’s a bit early for pumpkin-flavored ales, but a girl can dream, right?

Other brewers that will be at Mel’s on Sept. 12 are Shipyard Brewing Co., Smuttynose Brewery and Woodstock Inn Brewery (plus more to be announced). And don’t forget about wineries: attending will be Candia Vineyards, Farnum Hill Ciders, Piscassic Pond Winery and Zorvino Vineyards.

As part of The Telegraph’s Marketing and Events Committee, I’m helping to plan, promote and put on this event. I think this is the event I’m most excited to be involved with, especially since I’m a homebrewer and regularly attend New England beer festivals. My favorite so far? Beer Summit’s Winter Jubilee in Boston. Definitely keep your eye out for when tickets go on sale in late fall.

Tickets for Wicked Wine and Brew Fest for adults 21 and older who will be sampling alcohol can be purchased in advance online or at The Telegraph’s office at 17 Executive Drive in Hudson for $20. For a limited time, when you buy tickets online, enter WWB09 at checkout and get $5 off each sampling ticket. The ticket price includes admission and unlimited sampling of beer and wine. And, the best part, the first 1,000 sampling tickets will receive a super-awesome sampling glass with our Wicked Wine and Brew Fest logo on it. Sweet!

The day of the event you can also purchase tickets for $20. We’ll also be selling tickets for designated drivers and ages 20 and younger for $5. Children 5 and younger are admitted for free.

Though a wine and brew festival isn’t exactly the event most people would bring their children to, this one is being held at Mel’s Funway Park, which has mini golf, battling cages and an arcade, so there’s plenty to do besides imbibe.

For more information and to buy tickets, visit www.wickedwineandbrewfest.com. Cheers!

Enter Magic Hat’s Wacko. On the outside, it’s just another bottle covered with splashy graphics promising a crisp, smooth summer beverage.

The Wacko part comes into play when you pour it out. It’s got a pinkish-red hue, thanks to the inclusion of beet sugar in the brewing process. Though Magic Hat doesn’t mention any fruits added to the process, it has a slight fruity note and slighter fruity nose. A unhappy online reviewer compared it to a wine cooler, which is bit of an overstatement, but I’d probably stick with bottles if I find it at a bar - I don’t need the stigma of a pink drink.

I’ll agree with the crisp and smooth description. And because it’s not very hoppy and has an average alcohol content (4.5 percent), it’s something I could imagine drinking a few of on a warm summer night - and I’m not a big fan of fruity beers. It’s a little less fruity than Magic Hat’s #9, and thanks to that, a less fruity aftertaste.

If this is Magic Hat’s move to steal back some summer beer drinkers from Sam Adams Summer Ale, it’s a nice step. Though I’m not entirely sure why they never sought out this guy for the ad campaign.

Wacko’s hard to find on tap, but you can easily find it in stores in Magic Hat’s Summer Scene Variety 12-pack, which also includes #9, Lucky Cat and a new summer version of the Odd Notion beer, a nice Belgian-style ale that will get its own review in this space in the coming week.

Long shot story made short: the competition starts out regionally and escalates through several rounds of tasting where winners are finally picked. The winners then go on to compete against top brews made by Samuel Adams employees. The top three winners are picked and are eventually mass produced for a six pack that hits store shelves in the spring.

I was fortunate enough to get my first taste of one of this year’s winners, the Traditional Bock, through a sample more than a month ago, but even though it was made available in April, I was unable to find the six pack in stores in this area until last week.

This years winners are the before mentioned Traditional Bock made by Alex Drobshoff of California. He is joined by a Double IPA made by another Californian Mike McDole and a Cranberry Wit made by Samuel Adams Employee Carissa Sweigart.

I didn’t get the chance to try the IPA before one of my friends swilled it down, but the other two are definitely beers worth buying.

The bock is dark, sweet and the perfect pairing for deserts or a more hearty meal. The second time I tried it, I decided to eat desert first and I wasn’t disappointed.

From the bottle: “Alex’s brew is a bright copper German inspired bock with a complex, full bodied mouthfeel. Hints of rich plum and cherry aroma paired with its toasty malt flavor make this the perfect beer to linger over on a cool evening.”

I agree.

Most of the time, when fruit meets dark beer, I feel disappointed. But this beer, while fruity, still kept a dark richness.

The Cranberry Wit also held true to form. I’m partial to wit beers, especially in the summer. While the cranberry was more of an afterthought than a stronger taste, this beer is still a great match for hot summer days.

So hit the stores and grab a six pack before they disappear. They are only available for a limited time.

They kicked off the anniversary by offering gift cards for every $75 purchase and now, they’ve got a new promotion for Memorial Day.

Shoppers can get select wine and spirits for $19.34 in honor of the first year of sales, 1934.

Items on the list include many Black Box wines, Grey Goose 750 ML bottles, Maker’s Mark 750 ML bottles, Tanqueray Rangpur 750 ML bottles and more.

You’ll have to be quick though. Prices are only good through May 25.

The commission is also starting a year-long promotion starting April 17.
The first event is hosted by WBOS-FM where you could win an anniversary package or a $75 gift card among other prizes.

The $10 gift card offer runs through April 26.

Dark as a Himalayan night sky and just as dense, this beer is prodigious in character and taste. Just pour it and see. A caramel-tinted foam atop the beers diesel opaqueness brings to mind an espresso, suitably, as coffee forms one of the layers of flavor. Chocolate is another, licorice a third. Try tasting each one independent of one another.

A good dose of hops lends earthy character and aroma, with a silky caramel maltiness rounding out the flavors. But for all its intensity, it goes down smooth and easy. But be careful; at 9.2 percent alcohol, it could possibly be too smooth and easy.

OK, that’s the beer. Here’s the beer with a good Danish bleu cheese. There’s salty sharpness, there’s subtle smokiness, there’s creamy smoothness from beer and cheese. If there’s more of both, there’s heaven.

Fortunately the area’s well stocked with the dark stuff. Market Basket and Hannaford have it, and so do Jasper’s on Temple Street in downtown Nashua and The Liquor Shop on Middlesex Road in Tyngsborough, Mass. Prepare to pay $10 or a little higher for four 12-ounce bottles.